A transportation network for vehicles can include several interconnected main routes on which separate vehicles travel between locations. For example, a transportation network may be formed from interconnected railroad tracks with rail vehicles traveling along the tracks. The vehicles may travel according to schedules that dictate where and when the vehicles are to travel in the transportation network. The schedules may be predetermined in order to arrange for certain vehicles to arrive at various locations in the transportation network at desired times and/or in a desired order.
As the vehicles travel through the transportation network, unforeseen or unplanned events may occur. For example, vehicles may mechanically break down (and slow down to run at a reduced capacity or stop movement completely), sections of the routes in the transportation network may become damaged, additional vehicles may enter into or pass through the transportation network, and the like. These events may disrupt travel of the vehicles in the transportation network. As this travel is disrupted, traffic or congestion of the vehicles may increase, thereby decreasing the flow of vehicles in the transportation network.
If traffic or congestion of the vehicles in the transportation network increases, the vehicles may be forced to abruptly slow down or stop movement in order to avoid collisions with other vehicles or to avoid coming within a predetermined distance or buffer from other vehicles. Such slowing down or stopping can cause the vehicles to consume fuel in relatively inefficient manners, which can increase the amount of fuel consumed in order to get the vehicles to the scheduled locations.
A need exists for scheduling travel in transportation networks that can adapt to changing circumstances, such as the detection of events that disrupt the travel of vehicles in the transportation networks.